Agriculture Minister Chandrashekhar Sahu has raised an alarm over deteriorating financial condition of farmers on account of unseasonal rains and low farm output during the current Kharif season in Chhattisgarh.
In letters sent to Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources Department, N K Aswal, Additional Chief Secretary and Agriculture Production Commissioner Ajay Singh besides Secretary, Revenue, Relief and Disaster Management Department K R Pisda, the Minister said that the prevailing situation is also affecting paddy procurement drive in the State.
Sahu said that the damage suffered by paddy crops would also affect achievement of procurement target in the State. The Minister, in his letter, directed that water be preserved in small and bigger reservoirs for use during the summer season by farmers for irrigational purposes.
Sahu pointed out that the production of Kharif crops has not taken place beyond 30 per cent in the State.The farmers now need to be compensated through crop insurance for the losses suffered by them and a decision on the issue must be taken immediately, the Minister directed.Sahu has directed officials to take prompt action on the issues raised by him in the letter.
The matter is compounded by low arrivals of vegetables from neighbouring Odisha which is recovering from the devastation caused by cyclone Phailin in the month of October this year leading to spiralling prices of most vegetables in the State.